New kit for Burgess Hill military band's TV appearance

Angelika in her sewing workshop with some of the freshly made uniforms.

Burgess Hill Marching Youth is one of just four UK military bands chosen to take centre stage at London Band Week (27 June to 2 July). The band has already enjoyed a special practice session at Wellington Barracks, home of the world-famous Household Division next to Buckingham Palace.

The international festival of military music is led by British Army former Senior Director of Music Lieutenant-Colonel (ret’d) Dr Graham Jones MBE and will include the Band of the Royal Marines, a 300 piece college band from Tennessee USA and another from Florida.

The Week includes The London Tattoo spectacular at Royal Victoria Dock and a huge Parade Review at Hampton Court Palace as well as a range of skills competitions between the groups. The main events will be televised nationally.

Appearing on television and social media across the UK and abroad calls for an immaculate turnout and amongst the parents who have stepped in to help, Angelika Hajdecka has been working hard at the helm of her attic sewing workshop producing uniforms from scratch. “There are over fifty children and adults in the band, all different shapes and sizes. The young ones continue to grow so many new items have to be made, such as tunics and trousers.”

The band’s look is based upon that of the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas with new sources of ‘rifle green’ fabric proving a challenge to find, says Angelika, whose sewing skills are entirely self-taught. “The old suppliers are no longer trading but after searching for weeks I found a lovely firm in Manchester who not only had the right material but also sourced matching thread for me as well. So we have everything sewn up!”

As if this weren’t enough, Angelika (42), a yoga teacher, mother of three and former international skiing champion from Poland, is part way through producing fifty sets of pyjamas for donation to the Princess Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton under her sewing label Pebbles & Snow.

Burgess Hill Bandmaster Claire Stacey is upbeat about the band’s participation: “We are made up primarily of young people who put in many hours of marching and music practice every week. We are extremely privileged to be a part of London Band Week and proud to be representing Burgess Hill, West Sussex and the UK at this prestigious international event.”

Tickets for the event can be purchased at: londonbandweek.com/performances

For information about the Band or membership please email Claire: [email protected]